Bridgerton Season 2: Nonverbal Analysis of Kate and Anthony

Dear reader, unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few weeks, you must have heard the news that Bridgerton season 2 is hastily making its way to the most viewed season of all time on Netflix. It’s the talk of the Ton!

Whether or not you are familiar with Bridgerton’s story line or you’re here because you’d like to learn a new thing or two about body language, help with your own love story, no worries! I got you covered.

For context, Bridgerton season 2 revolves around Kate Sharma and Viscount Anthony Bridgerton tumultuously trying to fulfill their duties to their families through marriage. In the process, the two fall for each other which not only complicates, but compromises their families seeing as how Anthony is trying to marry Kate’s sister, the Season’s Diamond, Edwina, instead. A scandal indeed!

The issue I found with my scrutinizing eye between these two was the blatant negligence, especially Kate's, of the other’s body language. For as much as they gawked at each other they sure ignored a lot.

So, grab a snack and a pen and pad because there's a lot to learn!

The Ball

This has to be the the first moment I truly lost it during this season. At approximately 1:30, Anthony shows one of the greatest clusters I've seen on screen that perfectly display his interest in Kate but also his insecurity and fear of it as well.

Just so we're on the same page, a cluster is a group of nonverbal signals you give simultaneously to someone. The more that are "clustered" together the better you can figure out what someone is actually thinking. Now, back to Anthony being the best.

The first sign someone sees something or someone that they want, is the eyebrow arch sometimes called the eyebrow flash. This is as natural as it gets. This flash tells the person, "I like you." or, "I like what you're about to say." It typically means the person is excited. In this scene, Anthony says to Kate, "Is that what you want? For me to reconsider?" in response to Kate potentially not wanting him to marry her sister, Edwina.

As he says this, the eyebrows arch to indicate that not only does he want to anticipate an affirmative response but it shows her subconsciously that he likes her. On top of this, he has a furrowed forehead. We do this when we feel insecure or are trying to make sense of something. It looks like this:

To quickly add, nonverbal communication also means how we speak. When Anthony says this particular line, he breaks his baseline. A baseline is the pattern in which we communicate naturally. It is unique to us, so feel special!

When this baseline breaks, it gives us a sign of what someone is actually thinking. Anthony borderline interrupts Kate when he asks this question, his rate at which he speaks speeds up, his pitch raises and tone changes. This all "clusters" to subtly reveal how Anthony feels about her in a mere 3 seconds. Good thing she's ignoring it, huh?

There's Levels To This: Eye Contact

Throughout the whole season, these two primarily communicate through eye contact. They're the windows to our souls after all...if you don't believe that then let me put it this way, the eyes are windows to what our brains are thinking!

Anthony is by far more obvious with his eye contact than Kate is throughout the season. This is actually on purpose, inherently men have fewer modes of displaying nonverbal cues than women. This can ironically be confusing to women and cause overthinking to occur. One way men cannot hide their affections though, is eye contact.

Crazily enough, there are 8 different levels of eye contact!

• Level -1: Intentionally not making eye contact. (They don't like you).
• Level 0: Unintentionally not Making Eye Contact (They just chilling).
• Level 1: Unconscious Glances (Sorry friends, they don't know you're there).
• Level 2: Conscious Glance (Oh they see you and may be interested!)
• Level 3: Glance and a Half (They glance a fraction longer than normal)
• Level 4: Double Glance (They're noticing you and are interested.)
• Level 5: Gaze (Lasting longer than 3 seconds. Clear sign of interest).
• Level 6: The Smile (A smile coupled with a gaze is increased interest).
• Level 7: The Eye F*** (Kathony sits here a lot. Gazing, smiling, never breaking eye contact, it is as in your face as you can possibly get without verbally telling someone you like them.)
• Level 8: The Dreamboat (Can only happen when couples have been intimate/fallen in love. Usually during cuddling.)

It does not take Kate and Anthony long to sit at level 5 and work their way up QUICKLY. If you watch the season though, you notice Anthony is far more forward with his gazing, and well, "level 7 behavior" than Kate is. Kate is seen usually sitting between a level 3 and level 5 despite Anthony's blatant hints.

Another way to tell if someone is into you is by which "Gaze" they choose. For example, Anthony does this often to Kate when they speak. He chooses the "Intimate Gaze" (gee, can't imagine why). Everyone does this to assess how interested they are in someone. They look at both eyes, then glance down to the chest, back up and then once more. Typically, after the two glances down, we stick to the face. Somewhere between the eyes and lips.

Kate isn't seen doing this as much because women have stronger peripheral vision that allows us to take in more without having to move our eyes as much as men. Men quite literally have "tunnel vision" so unfortunately they are a bit more obvious with their eye communication.

Despite Anthony's obvious gazes and eye f******, Kate still doubts the legitimacy of Anthony's feelings as the season goes on. Why?

Kate's "Doubtful" Communication

So, given all of these clusters all season, how does Kate STILL manage to not believe the Viscount has fallen for her? Simple: Doubt.

This is especially important to understand if you feel you have smacked someone in the head with hints that you like them and yet they don't make a move or give you any signs of mutual feelings.

Kate is a prime example of this, in the last episode while she speaks to her mother, Kate explains how even after she and the viscount do the you-know- what, she believes, "He does not love me, mama. Oh, and I...I could not allow it." She then sobs into her mother's shoulder.

Beforehand, her mother says, "It grieves me to think that you do not believe that you deserve all the love in the world." The fact that Kate finally acknowledges that she "could not allow it" is coupled with this body language sign: she puts the back of her hand up to her face as soon as she says this. Covering her mouth. When we do this, we are expressing our doubts, trying to hide, and also self sooth. Kate is trying to sooth herself for coming to terms with her self-sabotaging doubt in both her and Anthony's feelings.

How do you spot the difference between a doubter and someone who isn't interested? It's very difficult. However, pay attention to their eyes when you make eye contact. If they maintain that eye contact with you for longer than 3-5 seconds, with relaxed muscles around the face, raise their eyebrows, have dilated pupils, lean their body toward you/stand and sit close, and look down before they glance back at you, these are all signs of subtle interest.

Dear Reader, Go Live Your Best Life

There you, go. Some subtle cues to help you understand if your crush is into you, how you can show someone you like them, or just an explanation of your favorite Bridgerton couple's behavior. Now, go live your best life!